Sparklers
by Tigerwalk
Summary: Quick Richonne one shot for the Fourth of July. There will be one more chapter with an AU version.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hi everyone. Here's a quick one shot I threw together for the upcoming Fourth of July. This one is canon and I will be following it up with an AU counterpart as a second chapter. Hope you like it. Thanks for reading and reviewing :-)**

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"That must have been amazing!" Michonne fawned, looking at Aaron with wide eyes, as if she could see the scene he was describing playing out before her.

"It was," he agreed, wistfully. "The traffic was insane, but luckily a buddy of ours lived close enough that we could drive in the night before and walk down to the National Mall for the festivities."

"And you'd watch the fireworks from there, with the orchestra playing?"

"Of course!" Eric added. "D.C. knows how to do Independance Day. Best in the nation!"

"My favorite part was looking out over the sea of sparklers in the crowd. They would all blend together and it would look like the whole lawn was ablaze." Aaron glanced at his boyfriend, smiling at their shared memory.

The three were seated at a picnic table near the manmade lake that adorned Alexandria, enjoying the sun and passing Judith around as they relaxed. The discussion of the impending, long forgotten, summer holiday was sparked by an impromptu rendition of "You're a Grand Old Flag" that Eric had launched into at the mention of his days in the marching band. They had been up and down a few rabbit holes in their afternoon, lakeside chat

Michonne turned briefly to check on Rick and Daryl who were finally heading back toward them, after bowing out of the leisurely conversation to talk shop. Daryl was gesturing to the far side of the wall that was visible from their vantage and Rick was nodding his agreement to whatever he was suggesting. She scooted over on the bench when they arrived, and Rick took the seat beside her, still facing outward toward the shore, where Daryl was crouched examining the soil.

"The sparklers were my favorite too," Michonne remembered. "We always had them as kids. They'd burn the hell out of your hand, but we didn't care. We'd just run around swinging them back and forth, leaving little trails of gold in the air. It was like having a magic wand or something."

Aaron nodded at her description. "Eventually, as the atmosphere changed around here and security got tighter, you weren't allowed to have them down there on the lawn anymore. It always disappointed me."

"And now we'll probably never see one again," she sighed dejectedly, bouncing Judith on her knee. "You don't know what you're missing, little girl."

The three of them went quiet for a moment, flipping through their personal memory books inside their heads, before Michonne stood, hoisting Judy up onto her hip. "It's time for dinner. Are you coming?" she asked Rick, who seemed as though he was still making plans in his head.

"I'll be right behind you."

"Alright," she agreed, bending to place a kiss on his sweaty forehead, before walking away with Judith and their neighbors.

"Hoity toity D.C. celebration with symphonies and champagne and shit," Daryl scoffed when their friends were out of earshot. "Don't sound like nothin' compared to a good ol' Georgia party. Jug of moonshine, and some Allman Brothers cranking outta Merle's pickup. Now that's how you celebrate a holiday."

Rick chuckled softly, picturing his friend throwing the type of party he'd always end up busting up when he worked the Fourth. He had confiscated his share of illegal fireworks and booze from the local kids celebrating the country's birthday, while simultaneously trying to blow themselves up.

"You think we could find somethin' like that left around here? They must have some firework stores this close to the city."

Daryl raised an eyebrow at his friend under the veil of brown bangs hanging in his face. "What'd you become a cop when you were twelve? You don't know how to make fireworks?"

Rick shook his head, with a small laugh. He should have known Daryl and Merle wouldn't waltz into a store and buy anything they could make. "I can't say that I do," he admitted. "But it's probably not the best idea to be shooting fire into the sky and inviting all the local walkers to the party they're all throwing."

Daryl nodded, waiting for Rick to explain what he was hoping they would be able to scavenge.

"I was thinking about the sparklers Michonne was talkin' about...the kids would like 'em."

"Yeah, man" Daryl chuckled. "For the kids." He eyed Rick hoping to catch a glimpse of the flush that creeped up his neck when he was doing something nice for Michonne and trying to pass it off as one of his duties as leader of Alexandria. Kind of like when he had brought home a bunch of Lavender seed packets and asked Maggie to plant them in one area of the garden, because Carol might be able to use the edible blooms for something. Then he proceeded to yank a couple of them out every time he passed by on his way home from the guard tower. None of them ever made it to Carol.

"Just... if we see any places like that we should look."

"I'm sure they ain't hard to make either," Daryl offered, throwing Rick a bone. "Ask Eugene, I'm sure he used to make all sorts of explosives and shit in his basement before this. He can prolly do it."

"Think so?"

Daryl gave him an incredulous look, wondering if Rick was really questioning if Eugene could make a stick that you set on fire.

"Alright," Rick nodded, leaving it at that.

…

"Eugene," Rick hollered. He broke into a trot to catch up to the mulleted man as he walked the path to the front gate.

"Rick." Eugene answered, looking like he was caught by his dad doing something he shouldn't. It was his standard look whenever Rick spoke directly to him.

"I need you to do me a favor. For the Fourth of July thing they're puttin' on." Eugene stared awkwardly at Rick with no answer so Rick continued. "You know how to make Sparklers? Like the kids wave around?"he imitated the motion with his hand to demonstrate.

"I am familiar with Sparklers, Rick. Pyrotechnic devices are my specialty, actually."

Rick swallowed a laugh at Daryl's accurate evaluation of Eugene's old world hobbies.

"So you can make 'em?"

"I'm used to something that packs a bigger punch," he explained, "but obviously that would be a miscalculation on our part, seeing as the dead seem to have an affinity for fire and explosions, that's one thing we have in common." He paused his tangent for a moment, checking off an ingredient list on his fingers. "Aluminum, charcoal...I'll have to make that, potassium chlorate...I'll have to check, but I likely have some." He turned back to Rick. " I'm sure I can work on a toned down version, as long as everyone is aware that it in no way reflects the extent of my abilities in the explosives department."

"Yea, sure. I'll spread the word once you're done. But, keep it to yourself for now."

"Yes, sir." He watched as Rick turned to leave. "Wait!" he called before Rick could make his escape.

"Yeah?"

"You want red, green or standard issue white?"

"Really?"

"Really."

Rick thought for a moment, considering whether the color would make a difference to Michonne. "Make some of each," he instructed, making sure to complete his departure this time.

…

The small celebration Aaron and Michonne had thrown together was in full swing as evening approached. The sun had blessed them with a beautiful day for the picnic style potluck and smattering of yard games that the Alexandrians had partaken in, in an attempt to recapture some of the fond summer memories of their previous lives.

It wasn't exactly hamburgers and hotdogs, but there was meat cooked on a grill, scavenged beer and even a makeshift pasta salad that Carol had thrown together. They had stopped short of decorating the lakeside spot they were gathered at, but they had collected a few lanterns from around the community and squared off the area with the flickering light, giving it a festive feel none the less.

Rick, Michonne and Daryl sat at the picnic table where she had hatched the idea for the party weeks ago. Rick was leaned back against the wooden top, one foot crossed over his knee and his arm laid across Michonne's back. Daryl was perched on the table, his booted feet on the bench next to Michonne. She was quietly admiring her work, finally relaxing with a hard earned beverage.

"You did good," Rick complemented, patting her knee that was crossed over her other and draped in a fitting blue and white striped, jersey skirt. She wore a white halter style top with it, and he admired the way her outfit choices always made these frivolous gatherings the community insisted on, turn out somewhat worthwhile.

"Thanks," she smiled, genuinely. She felt good. These little slices of happiness that they carved out of the dark and desperate world were what kept a lot of these people going, and she felt it was part of her job as a leader here to provide the morale boost. Rick gave the speeches, spurred the fighters when they needed it. She convinced the community that they had something to fight for.

She tipped her head to his shoulder, watching Carl lead little Judith by the hands as she took shaky, tentative steps around the grassy lakeside. The sun was disappearing, and in response the music and lights upped their combined effort to transform the ambiance from rowdy to intimate. Their friends and neighbors settled into smaller groups, drinking and chatting as if they were gathered on some suburban cul de sac, on any normal summer evening.

Her eyes slipped closed for a moment, conjuring the image of colorful explosions lighting up the horizon and raining glitter from the sky. Her mind started to explore what it would be like to sit next to this man on a hot summer night in the previous world and allow themselves to get lost in a quixotic display of light and sound that served no purpose but to entertain them. She opened her eyes and stared up at him, his face now shaded in the dark of night.

"What is Eugene doing?" she asked, when her eyes fell back on the crowd. She saw the odd man, bouncing from group to group leaving each huddle with a mixture of smiling mouths and questioning eyes. Rick shrugged, not verbalizing a guess. When Eugene approached their table he pulled a swath of metal sticks from behind his back, displaying them before her like a bouquet.

"Red, green, or white for the lady?" he asked.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, not having the faintest clue what he was asking until she heard a long forgotten sizzling sound erupt from the group where Carl and Glenn were standing, and spotted a wild fury of sparks dancing a furious line down the long metal stick.

Her eyes flew wide and she immediately turned toward Rick, who looked completely unfazed. "Did you do this?" she asked, taking in the slight curl of his lip as he fought a smile.

"Nah," he gestured with a wave of his hand. "That's not really in my skill set."

She smiled sweetly at him. She didn't doubt homemade fireworks weren't his forte, but convincing people to do his bidding was. She turned back to Eugene who was still displaying his work for her.

"I want the traditional white," she announced, sitting up straight with her hands clasped on her lap as she awaited her prize.

Eugene plucked one of the spikes from his hand and reached into his pocket, retrieving a lighter and tossing it to Rick. Then he dug around in the bag he had slung over his back and pulled out a plastic cup, jamming the metal into the top so it stuck out like a candle in a cake. "These aren't your typical dime store fire sticks," Eugene warned. "This here will leave a mark." He showed her how to hold the stick beneath the shelter of the cup and she nodded, impressed with the new trick.

Rick flicked open the lighter setting free it's flame, and he held it to the end of her gift watching as a puff of smoke heralded the imminent display. She jumped slightly as the sparks sprang to life, then her face lit up with joy. Rick stared at her, watching the show reflecting in her eyes as she drew imaginary pictures in the dark with her light. He was sure of all the light shows that had been presented on this day in the old world, this rivaled every one of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hi everyone, here is the second installment. Happy 4th, for those of you state side. May it be as magical as Richonne's :)**

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Carl and Andre ran in circles, feigning a fierce battle with their sparklers on the grassy hill top at the center of town. Dusk gathered up the horizon beyond them, and the soft hum of anticipation was the perfect soundtrack to their game.

Andre had been enthralled by the hand held fireworks Carl was using nearby, and had taken it upon himself to approach the boy, who had to be twice his age, and strike up a conversation.

"Be careful, Andre," Michonne instructed from the blanket beside Carl's father.

Rick laughed as the younger boy sliced and stabbed the sparkly swords with his son, while Carl pretended to be struck again and again. He had been kind enough to light one of them for Andre and offer Michonne a seat on his blanket while they watched their children play.

She and Andre were new to the place called King's County, and were desperate for some entertainment. They'd seen a flyer for the town's Fourth of July firework display at the grocery store and decided to try their luck. The town was so small, they were sure they had already met all of its residents, but glancing over at the handsome man beside her, she was pleased to find she had been wrong.

"Thank you for sharing," Michonne said. "He's having a blast."

"Of course," Rick replied with a grin, his soft drawl dancing in her ears. "I wasn't looking forward to settin' my hand on fire tonight. They're all his."

"That's what the cup is for," she laughed, gesturing to the makeshift shield she had created out of a few plastic cups she packed for lemonade.

He scrunched his eyebrows at her suggestion, as if his only choices were to burn or abstain in order to maintain his masculine pride.

"Suit yourself," she shrugged, playfully.

He grinned at her, letting his eyes linger just a little longer than necessary.

"So what can I expect from this little town tonight?" Michonne asked. " Am I going to be impressed?"

"It's been awhile, but I seem to remember a pretty good show," he replied. His eyes ran the length of her, admiring the way she had her long, blue and white skirt scrunched up around her knees, exposing her bare legs to the cool breeze gracing the top of the hill. She had kicked off her sandals and her pretty feet were crossed at the ankles.

This was the first time Rick had been to the event since his wife had passed three years ago. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy it, it was just that Lori had always been the one to suggest it and orchestrate the trip, and without her he lacked the motivation. This year Carl had begged him, though, and he decided to make the effort. Sitting here, watching the last of the sun's rays retire behind the horizon and sharing a blanket with a beautiful woman who happen to wander into his orbit, he was feeling like he made the right choice.

"We'll find out soon enough," she said, leaning back on her elbows to face the sky as the first hisses of smoke streaked through the air, bursting in front of them in a shower of red and gold.

Rick tried to focus on the performance that he had been waiting over an hour for, but his gaze kept falling back over his shoulder to Michonne's silhouette, reclined beside him. Each time the sky erupted with light, he caught a glimpse of her face before it quickly fell into the shadows again. She was smiling, quite obviously enjoying the show, and he was enjoying the reflection of it in her large, brown eyes.

She glanced over at him to share her appreciation of the display and caught him already facing her, his mouth curled into a smile. Her face flushed as he dropped his eyes to the ground, then turned back ahead.

Carl and Andre were settled beside each other, knees pulled up in matching embraces, their little faces tipped toward the magic in the sky.

"Captive audience," she commented, nudging his hip with her knee, and pointing at their kids.

Rick chuckled, shaking his head at their awe. "What about you? Is it everything you hoped for?"

"I'll admit this town has some aces up its sleeve," she smirked, thinking how for the second time tonight, she was impressed with the sight before her.

Loud booms reverberated in their chests as they watched every color of the rainbow erupt and streak across the night, between stolen glances at each other. Michonne sat up to toss a blanket to the boys, settling back down just a little closer to her new acquaintance.

He shifted his seat, bending one leg and curling the other one beneath him, his hand moving to the space in between them to support his weight.

The performance signalled its approaching end with a deafening cacophony of explosions and squealing sounds, as the remaining firepower was let loose for the spectacular grand finale. The crowd cheered, answering the noise with their own whistles and claps of appreciation.

Rick glanced over at Michonne, happy to see her in no rush to leave. They stayed for a few moments, watching the people around them gather up blankets and chairs in a bid to make their way down the long, singular road to the bottom of the hill.

"Well," Michonne finally said. "I can see why everyone made the long hike up to the top of this hill. It was worth it."

"Did you park at the bottom?" he asked, eyeing the throngs of people pushing that way.

"We did. Didn't you?" This was her first time in this part of town, but if there was another way up, she hadn't seen it.

"We got a ride," he grinned sheepishly. "My partner dropped us off. They still let police vehicles up the road after they close it to traffic."

"You're a cop?" she asked, wondering if she would have guessed that, given the opportunity.

"Sheriff's Deputy."

"I see," she smirked. "Well Deputy, that sounds like a gross misuse of power."

He laughed heartily at her teasing. "You're absolutely right, ma'am. I've learned my lesson, though. If you're walking down, we'll walk with you."

Michonne laughed with him. "I'm kidding, Rick. You don't have to." She secretly hoped he would.

"Downhill is the easy part," he offered. "Besides, it's a safe town, but I'd feel better if you two weren't walkin' alone."

She glanced over at the hundred or so people filing down the hill and smiled at his feigned concern. If by not alone he meant with him, she would take it. "Thank you, she smirked. "I feel safer already."

He felt his cheeks flush at being caught, but she had granted him at least twenty more minutes of her time on this walk, so he shook it off. He stood, extending his hand to help her to her feet and they gathered their sons from their conversation to begin the trek.

Falling in with the rest of the town, Carl and Andre stepped ahead and the two of them hung back, walking just close enough to allow their arms to brush and still pretend it was accidental. They chatted easily for the first half of the walk until Andre's little legs began to slow and she reached down to pick him up.

"I could give him a lift," Rick offered. "I've had a lot of piggyback practice." He gestured to his son who had probably stopped needing a ride a few years ago.

"You sure?"

"Definitely. Hop on, buddy," he called to her son, as he pulled over to the side of the crowd and knelt to the ground.

Andre's eyes lit up at the idea of riding that high and he scrambled onto Rick's back by grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and hoisting himself up.

Michonne stepped behind them, adjusting Andre so his little arms weren't strangling his ride, and her heart warmed at the sight of the two. It had just been Andre and her since his father took off to 'find himself' a year ago, so the joys of piggyback rides were few and far between. She settled back in next to Rick as they continued walking.

"Michonne," Carl started, "how are you liking King's County so far?"

"I'm starting to like It quite a bit," she answered, smiling at his mature manor. He spoke like a boy much older than his ten years. She stole a glance at Rick, who was adding large bounces to his steps to Andre's delight.

"We could show you around sometime. I mean, it's not a huge place, but we can let you in on some of the secret spots."

"I'd like that," she replied, sharing a smile with Rick. "Well, this is us." She gestured to her vehicle in one of the long rows of cars parked at the bottom of the hill. Rick squatted, letting Andre scramble down from his back. He rested his elbow on the roof of her car as she ushered the boy into his seat.

"Dad, I see uncle Shane," Carl called, pointing to a police cruiser in the next row over. "Bye, Michonne. Bye, Andre. It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Carl," she waved, watching him take off running toward his friend.

"I think we should see each other again," Rick said, once they were alone. "If you're available."

"I think you're right," she smiled. She pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse and scribbled her number. His fingers grazed hers as he took the note from her, his blue eyes flickering in the dark.

Maybe it was the energy of a hot summer night, or the whimsical ceremony of the holiday, but the sparks between them now seemed to rival the display they had just witnessed. It was if this night existed just to set them in front of each other.

He finally broke his stare, glancing at the paper before folding it and placing it his shirt pocket. "I'll call you then," he promised.

He reached for her hand, pressing his lips to the back just as a loud squeal sounded behind them. They both turned to see one last burst of color erupt in the sky, gold fire raining down over the horizon as the last straggling spectators let out a final cheer.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N So this really was supposed to be a two part thing, but some of you asked so nice so here is another, and really last, chapter. It's a sequel to chapter 2. So if you haven't read 2 it will make more sense if you do. Hope you like it :-). Love you guys!

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"Rick, is the bag packed?" Michonne called from the kitchen, as she shoved some crackers and peanut butter into a plastic bag and sealed it.

He came around the corner just as she finished, and took a spot leaning on the doorway with a grin. "You sure you're up to it?" he asked, staring down at her round belly that was trying desperately to break free from the hem of her tank top.

The humidity was gaining on her and small beads of sweat were forming on her chest as she moved about the room. "I promised the boys we wouldn't miss the fireworks this year," she sighed.

He crossed the room to meet her and used a hand to lift her locs off of her neck, placing a light kiss to her jaw. "I can take 'em. You can have the night to yourself."

She smiled up at him, thinking of how lucky she was to have found her way to the top of the hill in the center of town, three years ago. Despite her swollen ankles and aching hips, there was no way she was going to miss their annual trip to the place and night where it all started. "I don't want the night to myself," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I want the night with you."

"Alright, but you're not walking," he said. He pulled away and went to the fridge to grab a couple of bottled waters, handing her one. She rolled the cool plastic on her chest before taking a sip and he pressed his to the back of her neck.

"Rick, that's how you get to the top," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"We're gonna make a stop first," he said, taking his bottle back and leaving a quick kiss on her now cold skin. He took off into the other room, yelling up the stairs. "Carl, Andre...you guys ready?"

Michonne waddled into the room just as the two boys came rushing down the stairs. Carl had just turned twelve and she was getting used to that pre-teen apathy that seemed to cloud everything he did lately, but tonight he seemed genuinely excited. Andre, being five years younger, was still bubbling over with child-like excitement.

"Everything's ready," Rick said to Michonne. "I'll get them in the car and start the A.C., go use the bathroom first, cause you know you're gonna need to." He gave her a sly grin and if he wasn't completely correct, she would have given him an equally smug retort.

Once she climbed into the car, the frosty, dry air of the cabin helped her lungs to expand and she started to feel much better. She looked over her shoulder at the kids, chatting happily with them as Rick drove. Before she knew it, he was pulling into the parking lot of the Sheriff's Department where he worked.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, turning her attention back to her husband.

"I told you, you aren't walking up that hill tonight." He got out of the car just as his best friend, Shane came out the double glass doors at the front of the building, in uniform and obviously on duty. Rick came around to the passenger side door and opened it, offering his hand to Michonne to help her step out.

"Jesus, girl. You ain't gonna pop that kid out in my car are ya?" Shane laughed.

"Funny," she said, giving Shane an unimpressed look. She was used to the man's mouth by now, but being back in the humid air had her patience thinning.

"Shane'll take you up on the closed road, in his cruiser," he said, shooting Shane a look that warned him to tame his sense of humor for the trip. "We'll meet you up there."

"V.I.P access," Shane smiled as he walked over to his cruiser, a few spots away, to start it up.

Michonne turned her gaze back to Rick, relief finally hitting her that she wasn't going to have to make the trek on foot. She smiled brightly at him, glancing at the two boys still in the back of their car, before leaning in to kiss him. "Thank you. This is sweet."

"You're welcome," he said, smoothing his hand over her belly and then discreetly patting her behind. "Sorry, you'll have to deal with Shane for a little bit, but he was assigned to the area so, it's the best I could do."

"I'll be ok," she laughed. "But, why aren't you all riding up? We could fit."

"That would be a gross misuse of power, ma'am," Rick replied, reminding her of the lecture she had given him the night they met. "Besides, these boys can walk." He gestured over his shoulder at the kids before leaning in to kiss her.

"I'll see you up there, then?"

"See you in a few."

…

The familiar sound of a hot summer evening was riding along the breeze at the top of the hill, while Michonne smoothed out a blanket on the grass. She made herself as comfortable as she could and settled in to watch the kids playing in the dusk, waiting for the main event. She couldn't help but think of Carl and Andre bonding on this very hill and subsequently bringing two families together like missing puzzle pieces. Next year, God willing, they would be back at the same magical spot, with a third child between them, the glue that bonded them forever. The emotion the holiday was suffused with since they had all come together, and the hormones that couldn't let her experience a moment without succumbing to it, had happy tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She was shaking her head at herself when she heard Rick's voice over her shoulder. She turned to see him, wiping sweat from his brow while Andre's arms nearly choked him from his position on his back.

He scooched down, letting the boy off and motioned behind him where Carl was ambling along at a casual pace. "Come on, Carl," he said, while Andre ran to the blanket and plopped down next to Michonne.

"Hey momma," he said, snuggling against her side.

"Hey, peanut. Did you make daddy carry you the whole way up the hill?"

Andre nodded as he began digging through the bag she brought, looking for snacks.

Rick finally made his way to the blanket, taking the seat on the other side of her and leaning back on his arms. She reached up to move a stray piece of hair off of his forehead and smiled at him. "Long walk?"

"Be glad you weren't there," he sighed.

The dusk had finally given way to full darkness and after Rick had rested for a few moments he sat back up as if he had just remembered something. "Carl, give me your backpack," he said, stretching over Michonne's round belly to get it from him. "I almost forgot."

He rustled around in the bag for a minute, finally pulling out two rectangular boxes and handing them to her.

"You found them!" she exclaimed. After an unsuccessful trip to the store that morning, she had resigned herself to going without their favorite tradition for the Fourth of July.

"I did," he smiled, digging in his pocket and pulling out a lighter. He took the box back and pulled out the sparklers, just like the ones Carl had been playing with that night, and handed some to Carl and Andre. Carl rolled his eyes, pretending that he was only going along with the tradition to make his parents happy, but Michonne knew he liked it just as much as she did. She and Carl had formed a special bond and she could read him like a book.

The two boys held their sparklers out and Rick lit the ends. Little sparks started shooting from them immediately and the kids waved them around, painting pictures of light in the night air.

Michonne leaned her head onto Rick's shoulder with a smile and he craned his neck to kiss her cheek. Overcome by the moment, she cupped his face and brought their lips together, kissing him as if they were the only two people on that hill. Just as she pulled away, the first streak of light burst into the air with a loud hiss and exploded into color, while the crowd cheered. Once again, she couldn't help but think this night existed just for them.


End file.
